Part-Time Vegetarian: The Cottage Cooking Club

At the end of October, I decided to try to eat vegetarian as much as possible. I had downloaded River Cottage Veg: 200 Inspired Vegetable Recipes, by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall a few months ago with the intention of joining The Cottage Cooking Club.  Well, the group started back in May and I finally had a very good reason to start!

I signed up to make couscous with herbs and walnuts, twice baked potatoes and patatas brava.  I was suppose to make stuffed cabbage too, sadly, I didn't make that yet.

The couscous with herbs and walnuts was good, similar tastes as tabouli, but not the same.  I was able to make this after work, no problem.  I will make this again for sure!

I had my couscous with grilled eggplant...Yum! The twice baked potatoes were very easy,  I actually made these over the weekend and we reheated them during the week for a quick dinner side dish.

Lastly, I made the patatas brava...delicious!  Also another easy make after work recipe.  I had my patatas brava with a salad and my son and husband had theirs with a nice filet.

I used a mix of baby potatoes.
 To see the other recipes that were made this month, click here.

FFWD: Beatrix's Red Kuri Soup

A great start for Thanksgiving dinner. I have to admit, with all the cooking I had for Thanksgiving dinner, I made Beatrix's Red Kuri Soup in my slow-cooker. Super easy and delicious. I also appreciated the Bonne Idee to add blue cheese...Yum! To check out other versions click here.

storzapretis, the French gnocchi

So, I am sharing this recipe as I am eating it, because I waited until the very last minute to make it. Another great recipe from Dorie Greenspan's, Around My French Table.  First off, I was going to make these lovely little dumplings last night after work, but when I read the recipe yesterday morning, I realized, this wasn't something that I could prep before work then finish when I get home. Well, that's partially true. Storzapretis (aka Spinach and Mint Gnocchi) can be made ahead, as long as the ricotta has been properly drained and the spinach pre-steamed and drained.



Not many ingredients in this, ricotta, spinach, a handful of mint, flour, egg, cheese, I used half Parmesan and half Comte.

Shaping these is not done like Italian gnocchi, but rather with the 2 spoon method to form a quenelle. Time consuming, but good therapy for me.


I put my storzapretis in the freezer for an hour.  I wanted to make sure they didn't fall apart when I put them in the boiling water.


I made sure the water was boiling hot, but before I put the storzapretis in, I turned the water to a very low simmer.  I had iced water ready to cool the storzapretis, then drained on a paper towel.
Cheater Moment: I didn't have time to make my own sauce, so I bought a very good organic sauce and covered each storzapretis with sauce and cheese, then in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes.
So, this can be made ahead and enjoyed as a weeknight dinner, if you make a whole bunch and freeze.  To see how he Doristas did with this recipe, click here.

Channeling my Italian roommate Paola: amaretti

I have to admit, I had forgotten that I needed to bake amaretti cookies today. Thank goodness, these are one of the easiest cookies I've ever made. After a quick to the gym, so I would have no guilt sampling the amaretti cookie later, I stopped in to get the 8 oz. can of almond paste. Ok, this is not located in the right place, not near the baking supplies, rather on the bottom shelf under the nuts. Ok? Three ingredients, almond paste, egg whites, sugar...easy. I had Salt and Pepper cranked up, to channel my SF roommate from college, Paola, who moved back to Italy many years ago, and one of my cooking mentors! first separate the eggs then cut the almond paste in small cubes mix on low agg egg whites, one at a time mix on low until smooth Ok, here's one step you need to decide on, pastry bag or cookie scoop? I went with the scoop! I baked half on the a silpat and the other half on parchment paper. I baked my amaretti in a convection oven for 15 minutes, then twirled the sheet pan around for the last 5 minutes. Cool on a rack with the liner. So, the liner does make a difference. I both cases, the amaretti stuck to the liner, maybe I didn't wait long enough for them to cool. Also, I feel like the amaretti so baked on the parchment puffed and crackled slightly more. This recipe is in Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan. This week Doristas at Tuesdays with Dorie are baking amarettis today, to check out the other versions of this recipe, click here.

pan-seared duck breast with kumquats (aka duck a l'orange)

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Kudos to Dorie Greenspan for re-introducing Duck a l'orange in Around My French Kitchen.  I love duck! If it is on any menu when I am out I will order it. However, I will not pay through the nose for it, if I am making it at home.  I know the recipe was designed to be easy, and since I have broken down hundreds of ducks, I chose to purchase a whole duck and butcher it myself.  I could have either paid $30.00 for 2 breasts or $20.00 for a whole duck.
 
The choice was easy and honestly, butchering a duck is way easier than a chicken.
 
See, simple!!!

Ok, after seeing kumquats everywhere, the day I decided to make this recipe, there were no kumquats to be found.  I used tangerine for the sauce.  To be honest, I don't really like kumquats, I only use them for garnish.  I found a great dried slightly sweetened orange that I served with the duck.  I recently attended a wine event and they were sampling a few dried fruit slices.  So good, I had to buy them.  If you can find these, try them.  Great with a slice of Parmesan cheese too!

The sauce was quite simple, wine, balsamic vinegar, shallots, spices, chicken broth, and a lot of reducing down.  I have to say, this sauce was amazing.  I worked in a 5 star French restaurant with a very famous chef and I would say, this version is pretty close, if not better...hmmm.



Seared the duck breasts in a very hot, dry pan, I chose a Dutch oven, so oil wouldn't splat everywhere. Finished in a 250 degree oven for 5 minutes. In the mean time, I removed most, but not all the oil, of the oil from the Dutch oven, poured the sauce in and turned off the heat while I finished off the duck in the oven.

  This was the lovely wine my husband chose to serve with the duck and I used in the sauce...delicious! To see other versions of this recipe go to French Fridays with Dorie, click here.

palets de dames

I have to admit, this is not the first recipe I have made from Dorie Greenspan's, Baking Chez Moi cookbook.  I let my husband pick any recipe for me to make for him and he selected Cheesecake, Alsace Style.  I hope we don't wait too long to make that yummy treat!!!
So I was very excited to make Palets de Dames.  As I skimmed through the recipe I remembered the word "puck", so I was expecting a very different cookie.   One thing that is for sure, this tea cookie can be made and enjoyed before you finish off your morning pot of tea.















Cream the butter, then add room temperature eggs, one at a time.

Add vanilla extract, I made my own vanilla extract months ago, to be prepared for fall baking!

Add flour, slowly, then cover the mixing bowl and chill the dough.  I was anxious to have the Palets de Dames with my tea, so I rushed the chilling.

Scoop then put in a 400 degree oven for 7-9 minutes, no longer!

I only baked off half the dough and saving the rest for later.

I didn't wait long to dip the cookies in the glaze, I could barely wait.  Also, I used a little extra milk and lemon zest instead of lemon juice for the glaze.  I didn't have any pretty sugars, so I thought the glaze alone might look too plain.  To see how the rest of the group liked this recipe, click here.
Sammi was not too interested in the Palets de Dames, so she left me alone while I baked.

Waiting patiently as the glaze dries.

Aw, finally, I can relax and enjoy!

Gateau Basque

This is a new favorite, "Thank You Dorie Greenspan".  I have to say, I have seen Gateau Basque in bakeries in both Paris and here at home, but I wasn't sure I would like it.  Well, I love it!!!  I have to admit, I made this in the late summer and the temperatures were soaring.  Not good for baking in a hot house.  Now that we are experiencing chillier Fall weather, I may make this again soon, make a nice pot of tea and curl up with a good book.  Yummy!
I promise, the hardest part is straining the seeds out of the preserves. Next time I buy seedless! The dough looks and feels very dry, but don't worry. Not pretty, but this fixes it's self while it bakes.

The recipe can be found in Dorie Geenspan's Around My French Table.  To check out how the Doristas did with their Gateau Basque, click here.